The mayor of Napier Bill Dalton continues to recover from a stroke he suffered two weeks ago, but it is still to early to tell whether he will return to his role.
Dalton suffered a stroke on April 9 and was in a critical condition for several days, before starting to improve.
Napier City Council chief executive Wayne Jack said on Tuesday Dalton was continuing to improve steadily.
He said at this point it was too early to tell whether Dalton would return to his role before the local government election later this year.
Dalton confirmed earlier this year he was planning to stand down at this year's election, which is in October, after severing two terms as mayor and another two as a councillor.
Deputy Mayor Faye White has taken on the role of Acting Mayor, and will remain in the role while Dalton recovers.
Following the stroke, social media was flooded with messages of support for the mayor, some expressing that while they held different political opinions, they still wished him a speedy recovery.
A spokesperson for Hawke's Bay District Health Board confirmed he is still in a stable condition.